Vacuum-tube socket



1929- w. c. STEVENS ET AL 1,734,783

VACUUM TUBE SOCKET Filed Dec. 8, 1.924

.4 TTOR NE Y Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM C. STEVENS AND GEORGE J. MEUEB, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGN- ORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 CUTLER-HAMMER INC., OE MILWAUKEE, WIS- CON SIN, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE vacuum-runs sooxn'r Application filed December. a, 1924. Serial m. 754,489."

This invention relates. to vacuum tube sockets.

An object of the invention is to provide a socket for panel board mounting, the parts of the socket being designed for assembly on and firm securement to the anel board, thereby obviating the necessity or prior assembly of the socket parts on the usual individual insulating base. j

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In .the accompanying drawing, wherein are illustrated certain of the embodiments which the invention may assume in practice;

Figure 1 is a top lan view of a panel board with two of the soc ets mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1;

" Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the broken line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing a modified form of shell and securing means therefor, and

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view showing another modified form of securing means.

'25 Referring to the drawing, in which. like parts are designated by like characters of reference in the several fi es, the socket at the left will first be descri ed.

The socket comprises a relatively thin cyl- .30 inder or shell 5 of insulating material, such as examp1e,'as thatsold commercially under the name of bakelite, adapted to project through an aperture 6 in the panel board 7. Shell 5 is prov-idednear the bottom thereof with a plurality of spaced openings 8. Contact clips 9 are adapted to project t rough-the respective openings, 8, and are provided at opposite ends thereof with pairs of lugs or cats Lugs 10 are adapted to be definitely .posi- 0 prongs or electrode'terminals of a vacuum tube (not shown). Reinforcing members 12 are also adapted to project through said openings 8 and are adapted to be placed directly below contact clips 9 to increase the rigidity of said contact clips. Said clips and reinforcing members are secured to panel board .7 by means of screws 13, which project throughapertures 14 and 15 in panel board 7 and contact clips 9, respectively, and into 10 and 11.

tioned within shell 5 for cooperation with the engagement with the screw threaded openings 16 in the reinforcing members 12.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, clips 9 and reinforcing members 12 are ada ted to project through the openings 8 in she I 5. The size of openings 8 closely approximates the combined cross-sectional areas of contact clips 9 and reinforcing members 12 to provide a snug fit therewith. Said arrangement together with the rigid clamping of saidclips and said reinforcing members to panel board 7 by means of screws'13, provides for rigidly securing shell 5 and panel board 7 against relative movement.

The contact clips 9 are of the type shown and described in the copending application of George J. Meuer' and William C. Stevens, Serial No. 7 37 ,516, filed September 13, 1924, and since no claim is made herein to the clips per se further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The shell 5 is provided at the upper end thereof with a vertical notch 17 for cooperation with the usual pin or projection on a vacuum tube to insure enga ement of the prongs of the vacuum tube with the proper contact clips.

In; assembling the device, a shell 5 is inserted into and through an aperture 6 in the panel board 7 so that the upper ed es of openings 8 are in line with the rear ace of panel board 7. Clips 9 are inserted from'the inside of shell 5,'through openings 8 so that the apertures 15 are in register with apertures 14 in the panel board. Lugs 11 are preferably upturned prior. to insertion of the contact clips within the shell 5, and to accommodate the same -the openings 8 are provided with airs of spaced notches 8 (as illustrated in.

igs. 3 and 5). Reinforcing members 12 are next inserted through openings 8 from the outside of shell 5, so that screw threaded openings 16 register with apertures 14 and 15 of panel board 7 and contact clips 9, respectively. As will be obvious,-however, clips 9 and members 12 may be simultaneously inserted from the inside of shell 5. Screws 13 are next inserted into apertures 14 and 15 and screwed into screw threaded openings 16 of reinforcing members 12, thereby clamping said clips and reinforcing members to panel board 7, and thereby securely fastening shell 5 to said panel board as aforestated. Nuts 18 are threaded onto screws 13 to serve as locknuts, whereas the same may also be employed for temporary securement of lead wires to pont'act-clips 9 when soldering is not resorted Referring now to the socket illustrated at the right-hand side of Figs. 1 and 2, and in Fig. 4, the same comprises a relatively thin cylinder or shell 19 of insulating material which is adapted to project into an aperture 6 in panel board 7 and to abut contacts similar to thoseaforedescribed. Shell 19 is provided adjacent the outer face of the panel board with a plurality of spaced openings 20. Clamping members21, preferably of insulating material and having reduced portions 22, are adapted to be secured to the outer face of panel board 7 by means of screws 13 and the reduced portions 22 of clamping members 21 are adapted to penetrate shell 19 through said openings 20. As clearlyshown at 24 in Fig. 4 the reduced portions 22 of clamping members 21 are adapted to engage or bite into the walls of openings 20 in shell 19 upon tightening of screws 13, thus serving to rigidly clamp the shell against the contacts at the rear of the panel board.

The contact clip's\29 of Fig. 4 are of the construction heretof re described and are adapted to be secured to-the rear face of panel board 7 by means of screws 13. Lugs 10 of contact clips 9 are adapted to extend into shell 19 and to be definitely positioned therein for cooperation with the prongs or electrode terminals of a vacuum tube (not shown). Reinforcing members 23 engage a portion of clips 9 and are adapted to be clamped thereto by the screws 13 which pass through clamping members 21, the panel board 7 and clips 9. and thread into screw threaded openings 16 in said reinforcing members. Said reinforcing members are adapted to increase the rigidity of the contact clips and hence of the abutment for the shell 19. and, as will be apparent, the shell may be firmly clamped to the tightening screws 13.

Shell 19 is also provided at the upper end thereof with a vertical notch 17 as aforedescribed in connection with shell 5. Here it may be stated that, in use, a vacuum tube is inserted into shell 5 or shell 19 with the usual lateral pin on saidtube in alinement with notch .17, only a straight or vertical movement of the tube being necessary to effect contacting and. holding of the prongs of said tube by the contact clips 9; whereas the'tube may be removed from the shell by a like vertical movement in the opposite direction.

In positioning and securing shell 19 with respect to the panel board 7,.said shell is inpanel board by serted into aperture 6 so that the lower edge thereof is in alinement with the rear face of panel board 7 Openings 20 are so spaced from the lower edge of shell 19 that the same will register with the reduced portions 22'of clamping members 21 when the latter are placed in position. Contact clips 9 are positioned on the rear face of panel board 7 (11-. rectly below clamping members 21, said contact clips abutting the lower edge portion of shell 19, the lugs or ears 10 of said contact clips extending into shell 19 and the apertures thereof registering with apertures 14 in the panel board. Reinforcing members 23 are then placed in position upon contact clips 9, the screw threaded openings 16 thereof registering with the apertures 15 in the contact clips. Screws 13 are inserted through clamplng members 21, apertures 14 and 15 in the panel board 7 and the contact clips 9,

respectively, and are screwed into the screw threaded o enings 16 in reinforcing members 23 to there y secure said clamping members,

contact clips, and reinforcing members to the panel board. The portion of shell 19 between openings 20 and the lower edge of the former will be clamped between the clamp-- ing members 21 and the upper face of contact clips 9.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the same illustrates a modification of the means for securing the shell and contact clips to the panel board. .Rivets 25 are employed for securing cal shell to extend through the panel boardand means to secure said shell to the panel board, said means including elements secured to the rear face of the panel board and, de-

tachably engaging said shell, said elements having integral contact clips extending into said shell.

2. In a vacuum tube socket for panel board mounting, the combination with a perforated panel of insulating material, of a cylindrical shell of insulating materialadapted to fit into said perforation, said shell having a plurality of circumferentially spaced perforations arranged in a common plane, and means to secure said shell and panel to each other, said means including a plurality of combined contact clips and wire terminal members freely insertable through said spaced perforations, said combined contact clips and wire terminal members being detachably secured to the rear face of said panel and detachably engaging said shell for support of the latter.

3. In a vacuum tube socket for panel board mounting, the combination with a perforated panel of insulating material, of a cylindrical shell of insulatin material adapted to fit into said perforatlon, said shell having circumferentially spaced openings, means for detachably securing said shell and panel to each other, said means comprising a lurality of combined contact and termina members secured to the rear face of said panel, and elements associated with said members for engagement with the walls of said openings to hold said shell and panel against relative movement.

4. In a vacuum tube socket for panel board 7 mounting, the combination with a perforated panel of insulating material, of an open ended cylindrical shell of insulating material insertable within said perforation, said shell having circumferentially spaced openings substantially flush with one face of said panel, elements extending into said openings for engagement with the walls thereof, terminal members on the rear face of said panel,

contact clips inte ral with said terminal members and adapte to be positioned within thelower end of said shell, and means for detachably securing said elements and said terminal members to the panel whereby said shell and said panel are held together.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto ,subscribed our names.

WILLIAM C. STEVENS. GEORGE J. MEUER. 

